Teaching Archive
EAS4510: Astrodynamics
Spring 2019 archived course page.
EAS4510 - Astrodynamics
Spring 2019
COURSE INSTRUCTOR
Instructor: Dr. Anil V. Rao, MAE-A 314, E-mail: anilvrao@ufl.edu. Tel: 352-392-5523 (Office); (352) 672-1529 (Mobile, for Calls and Texts). All contact methods are acceptable!
COURSE OBJECTIVES
- Characterize and understand the key properties of the motion of a spacecraft in orbit under central body gravitation.
- Design basic impulsive in-plane and out-of-plane maneuvers to transfer a spacecraft between two orbits.
- Perform preliminary analysis for space missions including missions where a spacecraft is transferred between two bodies.
- Understand the motion of a spacecraft under the influence of non-central gravity perturbations.
IMPORTANT NOTE
I consider it an honor and a privilege to be able to teach all of you, and I intend to provide the best instruction possible in order to enable you to learn the material well. If you cannot make office hours, please contact me and we will set up a time for you to get help. Regardless of how busy I am with other things, I will do what I am able to make myself available.
APPROXIMATE SCHEDULE FOR MATERIAL
| Topic | Material Covered | Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Review of Newtonian Mechanics | Particle Kinematics and Kinetics, Rigid Body Kinematics and Kinetics | Weeks 1 and 2 |
| Motion of a Spacecraft Under Central Body Gravitation | Formulation and Solution of Two-Body Differential Equation | Week 3 |
| Parameterization of Orbit in Space Using Position and Velocity | Computation of Orbital Elements from Position and Velocity | Week 4 |
| Determination of Position and Velocity from Orbital Elements | Computation of Position and Velocity Given Orbital Elements | Week 5 |
| Determination of Time on an Orbit and Position on an Orbit Given Time | Definition of Eccentric Anomaly. Solution of Kepler's Equation Using Eccentric Anomaly | Weeks 6 and 7 |
| In-Plane and Out-of-Plane Impulsive and Non-Impulsive Orbital Transfer | Hohmann/Bi-Elliptic Transfer; Phase / Apsis / Inclination Change; Rocket Equation | Weeks 8 Through 10 |
| Inter-Body Trajectories and Orbital Transfer Between Two Bodies | Patched-Conics; Launch Windows; Mid-Course Corrections; Fly-Bys | Weeks 11 and 12 |
| Non-Central Body Gravitation | Perturbations, Rendezvous, and Relative Motion | Weeks 13 and 14 |
COURSE LOCATIONS AND CLASS PERIODS
MWF Period 6 (12:50 PM to 1:40 PM). Room: Little Hall 109
OFFICE HOURS
| Name | Office Hours | E-mail Address |
|---|---|---|
| Anil Rao (Instructor) | MW: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM or by appointment. Please do not hesitate to contact me by e-mail, mobile phone, or text message if you need help! | anilvrao@ufl.edu |
| Brittanny Holden (TA) | Tu: Periods 4 - 6 (NEB 109) | brittannyholden@ufl.edu |
| Joseph Eide (TA) | Th: Periods 4 - 6 (NEB 109) | gatoreide@ufl.edu |
Note: if for some reason you are unable to make my office hours, you can always schedule an appointment at a time that is mutually agreeable to both you and I.
TEXTBOOK
Pressing, J. E. and Conway, B. A, Orbital Mechanics , Second Edition. Oxford University Press.
COURSE NOTES
I have created a set of typeset notes for the course. These notes are continually being updated. The current version of the notes are available by clicking here.
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
You must be fluent in at least one of the following programming languages: C, C++, Java, or MATLAB, but it is strongly preferred that all programming be done in MATLAB. Whichever programming language you choose, you must have access to the requisite software or compilers required to use that programming language.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
The homework will consist of three major homework assignments and a final project. All assignments are due at 5:00 PM on the due date and must be submitted through the Canvas course page on the University of Florida E-learning website.
| Assignment | Assignment | Due Date |
|---|---|---|
| Homework #1 | Background Material | 18 January 2019 |
| Homework #2 | Chapter 1 Problems | 30 January 2019 |
| Homework #3 | Chapter 2 Problems | 20 February 2019 |
| Homework #4 | Chapter 3 Problems | 13 March 2019 |
| Homework #5 | Chapter 5 Problems | 3 April 2019 |
| Homework #6 | Chapter 6 Problems | 17 April 2018 |
| Bonus #1: STK Level 1 Certification | Register at https://www.agi.com/training#cert | 24 April |
| Bonus #1: STK Level 2 Certification | Register at https://www.agi.com/training#cert | 24 April |
EXAM SCHEDULE, FORMAT, AND EXPECTATIONS
| Quiz | Contents | Due Date |
|---|---|---|
| Take-Home Quiz #1 | Based on HW #1 and #2 | 1 - 4 February 2019 |
| Take-Home Quiz #2 | Based on HW #3 | 22 - 25 February 2019 |
| Take-Home Quiz #3 | Based on HW #4 | 15 - 18 March 2019 |
| Take-Home Quiz #4 | Based on HW #5 | 5 - 8 April 2019 |
| Take-Home Quiz #5 | Based on HW #5 | 19 - 22 April 2018 |
QUIZ FORMAT
The course will have five take-home quizzes. Each quiz will be made available at 5:00 PM on a Friday and will be due the following Monday by noon. Late quizzes will not be accepted under any circumstances except the usual exceptions (illness or other emergency). Each quiz will require the use of MATLAB along with an understanding of the key concepts. Thus, it is extremely important that you understand the theory in addition to just being able to solve problems. Furthermore, the quizzes will require knowledge gained in the process of completing the homework assignments. Your grade on the take-home quizzes will be reflected in any procrastination in completing homework assignments.
MATERIALS PERMITTED FOR USE DURING EXAMS
All quizzes are open book and open notes. Any copying from any sources (including, but not limited to, other students quizzes, books, and resources available on the internet) will be considered cheating. All quizzes will be sent through the TurnItIn software on Canvas to check against all aforementioned material. Any student found to have copied will be in violation of the cheating policy in the course (see below).
ATTENDANCE RULES
Regular attendance is expected of all students. All attendance rules will be follow the official University of Florida Attendance Policies as found by clicking here. Attendance will be monitored via in-class quizzes that will not be announced in advance of the lecture (see grading below).
CHEATING
Cheating of any kind in this course will be enforced in accordance with the university rules. Any violation of any kind (even something as simple as a single line of code that is identical in the homework of two students) will automatically result in an "E" in the course and will reported as appropriate.
MAKE-UP QUIZ POLICIES
The following list comprises the only legitimate reasons to request a make-up for a quiz: (1) a student illness with a note from a physician that the student was ill on the date of the exam; (2) a family emergency that requires immediate attention; (3) a legitimate absence based on the University of Florida approved absences for University related participation in extra-curricular activities; (4) University of Florida exam policies based on a conflict with an exam in another course. Because the quizzes are being held in class, no make-up will be permitted for any exams in other courses that may be held that same day.
COURSE GRADING
| Item | Percent Value |
|---|---|
| Homework Assignments | 6 @ 10 Percent = 60 Percent |
| Take-Home Quizzes | 5 @ 8 Percent = 40 Percent |
| Bonus #1 (STK Level 1 Certification) | 10 Percent |
| Bonus #2 (STK Level 2 Certification) | 10 Percent |
| Total | 100 Percent + 20 Percent Bonus |
IMPORTANT NOTE: The unannounced in-class quizzes are purely for attendance purposes. As such, these in-class quizzes will not be graded (they are purely self-diagnostic so that each of you can get a sense as to whether or not you understand a particular concept), but missing a quiz on account of an unexcused absence will result in a lowering of a student's final grade in the manner described above (that is, a deduction of one step for each missed quiz on account of an unexcused absence).
GRADING SCALE
Grades in this course are determined using the following scale:
| Letter Grade | Score Range |
|---|---|
| A | 95 and Above |
| A- | 90 to less than 95 |
| B+ | 85 to less than 90 |
| B | 80 to less than 85 |
| B- | 75 to less than 80 |
| C+ | 70 to less than 75 |
| C | 65 to less than 70 |
| C- | 60 to less than 65 |
| D+ | 55 to less than 60 |
| D | 50 to less than 55 |
| D- | 45 to less than 50 |
| E | Less Than 45 |
NOTES ON ASSIGNMENT OF FINAL LETTER GRADES
- The grading scale above reflects the minimum that is required to receive a particular grade in the course.
- I reserve the right to uniformly increase all grades in the course by including a constant shift in the above grading scale. For example, if you receive a 93 (which, according to the grading scale, is a grade of "B+") and I shift the scale by two points, then I will add two points to your final grade which would give you a 95 (thereby making your final grade an "A-").
- Any score on the boundary between two ranges will receive the higher grade (for example, a 94 receives a grade of "A-").
- Finally, it is noted that while your individual scores for assignments, exams, and quizzes will be posted on E-learning (Canvas), the Canvas portal may not accurately reflect a student's relative standing in the class. Regardless of the information that is seen in Canvas, computation of final grades will be based on the criteria set forth above and a student's grade will only be final when grades have been computed at the end of the semester.